Two warranties, two different things
The workmanship warranty is ours. It covers how the roof was installed: the fastening, the flashing, the details, the things a crew can get wrong. This is the one that matters most in the early years, and it is only as good as the company standing behind it.
The manufacturer warranty is TAMKO's. It covers defects in the shingles themselves. Genuine product defects are rare compared to installation errors, which is why we lead with the workmanship number rather than the headline forty-year figure.
Our workmanship warranty
- Single-family residential homes: 10 years.
- Non-single-family structures, including multi-family and commercial: 3 years.
That is our own coverage on our own installation, and it is not contingent on a manufacturer program. If something we installed fails because of how we installed it, you call us at (317) 488-8613 and we come back.
The TAMKO warranty, and why certification matters
As a TAMKO Certified Contractor, we can offer an enhanced system warranty that non-certified installers cannot put on the same shingles. Certification required passing industry exams on proper installation technique, and the enhanced coverage exists because TAMKO is willing to stand further behind a roof installed by someone who has demonstrated they know how.
That product is the TAMKO Shield Enhanced Limited System Warranty. If a homeowner prefers not to take the enhanced version, the standard TAMKO Fiberglass/Asphalt Shingle Limited Warranty is also available.
The Full Start Period
The Full Start Period is the initial 20 years after installation on a single-family structure, or the initial 10 years on a non-single-family structure. This is the strongest stretch of the coverage.
During the Full Start Period, if TAMKO determines that system products installed in strict accordance with the application instructions have manufacturing defects that directly caused leaks, TAMKO compensates the original owner or purchaser for both:
- The reasonable cost of replacement system products to repair or replace the defective products, and
- The reasonable cost of the labor required for roof repairs, cleaning algae from the roof, tear-off, removal, and disposal of the defective products, and installation of the replacements
The labor half is the part worth noticing. It is also the part that goes away later.
After the Full Start Period
After that window, meaning years 21 through 40 on a single-family structure or years 11 through 40 on a non-single-family structure, coverage narrows to the product only. TAMKO is not responsible for any cost of labor after the Full Start Period. The remedy is limited to the reasonable cost of replacement shingles, and it is prorated.
For TAMKO laminated shingles, the prorated remedy is reduced by 2% for each year elapsed, through the end of the 40th year. Beginning with the 41st year and for the remainder of the term, the remedy equals 20% of the reasonable cost of replacement shingles. The remaining cost is the owner's responsibility.
This is normal for the industry and it is why a "40 year shingle" is not a 40 year roof at full coverage. Knowing where the cliff sits is more useful than the headline number.
Transferability
The coverage is transferable one time to a subsequent owner. If you are planning to sell within the life of the roof, that is a real asset worth mentioning in the listing.
Algae cleaning coverage
The Enhanced warranty includes a 120 month algae cleaning limited warranty. If the shingles become significantly stained by certain algae growth, including blue-green algae, during the initial twelve months after installation, TAMKO issues payment for the reasonable cost of the labor to clean the stained shingles, up to a maximum of $15 per one hundred square feet of affected roof area.
After those first twelve months the cost of cleaning is prorated over the remaining months, divided by 120. As TAMKO's own example puts it: if a claim is made when 40 months remain, the maximum obligation is one third of the reasonable cleaning cost, up to $5 per one hundred square feet. There is no obligation after the initial 120 months, or if the shingles are not significantly stained by algae.
The wind warranty has a condition worth knowing
The limited wind warranty applies only if two things are true: the shingles were installed in strict accordance with the application instructions, and the shingles have had the opportunity to seal down.
That second condition is the reason we hand-seal shingles on cold weather installations rather than waiting for the sun to activate the adhesive strip. A winter roof that was never hand-sealed may not have had the opportunity to seal down, and that is a genuine gap in coverage the homeowner usually never hears about. Our cold weather roofing page explains what that involves.
What voids coverage
Both warranties assume the roof was installed correctly and the assembly was built as a system. Installation outside the manufacturer's instructions is the most common way coverage is lost, and inadequate attic ventilation is close behind, because it cooks shingles from underneath in a way the product was never designed to withstand. That is why ventilation is part of our scope rather than an optional extra, and why we will tell you if your attic needs work before we put new shingles over it. Our attic insulation and ventilation page covers that in detail.
Get it in writing
Ask any contractor for both numbers, the workmanship length and the manufacturer coverage, in writing, along with what specifically voids each. A company that cannot produce that quickly is telling you something. Ours is 10 years residential and 3 years on non-single-family work, and the TAMKO documentation comes with your paperwork.